Gamer’s Guide To The Local Xbox 360 Community

The console that has taken America by storm. Controlled by software giant Microsoft. Not much is known about this system, beyond its name. Agent X… box.. Number 360.

Wait, maybe a lot more is known then initially let on. Developed by Microsoft and released on 12 May 2005 as a successor, this console has recently broken the 50 million units sold worldwide threshold and seems to be growing.

It looks like a sleek little box with curves and vents. Originally available in white where special editions were black. Many, however, modified the little box to show different colours and even pictures. Recently, the Xbox 360 underwent a diet where it lost a few calories and added a few vents. The new model on the market is called the Xbox 360 Slim and it’s lighter, and cooled better than the original model. Not to mention it offers ports for the motion control system known as Kinect.

This piece isn’t exactly what the Xbox 360 is about, but rather what the community is about. So, the Xbox Community, a community found mainly on forums and gaming sites in the country. And of course Xbox Live, the system which Microsoft created for players who own an Xbox 360 to use to play online against friends and strangers.

There are a few community sites for the Xbox Community in South-Africa. Namely Xbox-360 and Xbox Gaming being the main ones, where XboxReel is slightly new compared to the other two.

The aforementioned sites — Xbox-360 and Xbox Gaming — have forums for players who actively use Live to interact and get to know one another. Not to mention, they offer news and support to players who aren’t too clued up on how to use their gaming console to the full extreme it can endure.

So they have forum, but do they have a FAQ and interesting information?

Well I’ll be damned, they do. The one has a very informative piece on Xbox warranties, competitions and tournaments (albeit seemingly an obsolete section), while the other has news trivia, game previews and reviews and… oh wait: The websites feature pretty much the same stuff in fact. Reviews, Previews, Trivia, Help sections, site competitions.

The sites are familiar to other news portals available on the web, however, they are only for Xbox-related content. That means if you require help, it can be found be there. Xbox Ambassadors and Guru’s will be able to offer some insight into your dilemma.

Otherwise, they also have tips and tricks for various things like, admittedly outdated since October, how to get Xbox Live before it was launched locally, and what to do now that it is local and your account is not. Without copying what they have already written, we’ll direct you to the how to.

Then, there are two websites that specialise in selling local Xbox Live points and access cards: Evo Points and MsPoints.

You can purchase Live time or Points at either of these, where, unbelievably; Competition exists and the prices are not exactly the same. As a fledging economist, it is always nice to see someone out to make some extra cash, but as a gamer, it is always a bit frustrating. Now you know: Shop around, and you might be surprised. These sites often offer give-aways on Twitter, and they are definitely a must-see if you’re into the whole Points thing.

Xbox-360 also has a really excellent classifieds section, which only becomes available once you register. I’ve sold, bought and traded numerous items (mostly games) via their classifieds section. In this section Xbox360 bargains are also mentioned as they appear, and a lot of sites selling gaming equipment post in the section regarding their specials/2nd hand games they have for sale.